slawHome fermentation of a variety of vegetables is a great way to add diversity to our microflora.  To read more about our microflora and its importance to our health, click here.

Commercial fermentation requires pasteurization to meet current regulations before a product reaches our grocery shelves.  Pasteurization kills the microorganisms in the ferments and so does nothing to promote the diversity of our microflora.  Diversity of our microflora is associated with health.   Here’s a simple recipe for Alive Slaw to get your creative juices flowing and open up the world of home vegetable ferments. 

First, you’ll need a mason jar or other suitable jar with lid.   Boil four cups of filtered water. Clean jar and rinse with 1 cup of boiling water to sterilize.  Allow the remaining hot water to cool to room temperature.

Shred two washed carrots

½ cup of washed cabbage shredded

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

½ teaspoon of sea or Himalayan salt

Place ingredients in bowl and sprinkle with salt.  Pack ingredients in jar and fill jar with room temperature water that was previously boiled. Cover with clean lid loosely on jar.  Place jar near warm spot in kitchen and out of sunlight (e.g. next to stove).  Allow vegetables to ferment for 72 hours at room temperature, then store in fridge.  Make sure lid is not too tight so that the gas can escape.  You can start to enjoy your fermented vegetables as soon as 24 hours after fermentation. After 72 hour fermentation, your alive slaw can be stored in fridge for up to two weeks. You can eat the vegetables as well as the liquid.  If you are new to fermentation, eat small amounts at first to adjust slowly. 

Enjoy!